CAR SALES have been hugely hit by the coronavirus lockdown with a decrease in EU new car registrations of 76 perent - with the largest decrease recorded in Italy and Spain, of 97 percent.

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The European Automobile Manufacturers' Association ACEA announced on Tuesday in April only 271,000 new cars were purchased, which is 76 percent less than a year ago. Factories were forced to stop their car production due to the lockdown rules, a fall in the stock market has hit the value of most car firms and the sales of vehicles have nosedived.

Carmakers had been struggling before the pandemic hit due to a decline in demand for new vehicles across the world, the US and China trade war and EU officials demanding more environmentally friendly cars.